201 Gather Round The Tanner Tree
by Martinvdam
Summary: The family celebrates Christmas at Lake Tahoe. The guys go out to cut a Christmas tree. Stephanie and Kimmy are forced to reflect on the way they look at each other. This is the 9th episode of my fictional season 9 of Full House.


**Full House (Fan Fiction Season 9)**

**(9.09) 201 * Gather Round The Tanner Tree **  
Written by: Martin van Dam

_The family celebrates Christmas at Lake Tahoe. The guys go out to cut a Christmas tree. Stephanie and Kimmy are forced to reflect on the way they look at each other._

* * *

**Teaser:**

Stephanie Tanner and her sister Michelle are in the living room, when their father, Danny Tanner, walks in through the front door.  
"Girls, I have some exciting news," Danny says.  
Stephanie sighs and looks at her sister. "Oh boy, it was only a matter of time before dad would find out about that floor wax sale. I'm afraid we'll have to clean our room now to give it a Christmas shine."  
"Bummer," Michelle replies.  
"No girls, it's nothing like that," Danny cheerfully says, "I booked a cabin at Lake Tahoe for Christmas."  
"Oh yeah!" Stephanie and Michelle simultaneously exclaim.  
The front door opens and their sister DJ walks in with her boyfriend Steve.  
"What's going on here?" DJ asks.  
"Dad is taking us to Lake Tahoe this Christmas," Michelle says.  
"Sounds great. I love taco's," Steve says.  
"Tahoe, Steve," DJ responds, "It's Lake Tahoe, not taco."  
"Oh," Steve ponders, "but now I'm really hungry for tacoes."  
"We'll be leaving in a couple of days," Danny says.  
"This is much better than that floor wax," Michelle says.  
Stephanie grabs her little sister's arm and they want to walk away.  
"Girls, wait, what were you saying about that floor wax again?"  
Stephanie and Michelle look at each other and then turn around.  
"Nothing," they say together.  
Stephanie and Michelle run up the stairs, followed by Danny, who asks about the wax again.

* * *

**- Intro -**

A couple of days later we find Danny, DJ and Stephanie in the living room.  
"What are they doing? We leave in exactly 42 minutes and 36 seconds... no wait, 32 seconds," Danny says.  
"Dad, relax. Take a deep breath and think about something nice and calm," DJ responds.  
"Oh man, this really feels good," Danny sighs.  
"Wow dad, you are really relaxing. What were you thinking about?" Stephanie asks.  
"That new commercial with the washing machine in the open field."  
"Yeah, that is such a relaxing view," DJ says," with nature all around."  
"No, I was thinking about the washing machine. It makes so little noise and it makes the laundry so clean. I bet I don't have to clean it as much as I have to clean our washing machine either. Last week I had to clean the mud out twice on one day."  
"I take it Nicky and Alex had been playing outside, getting their clothes dirty?" Stephanie asks.  
"No," Danny sighs, "Joey did."  
Jesse Katsopolis, Danny's brother-in-law, walks in from the kitchen with Michelle.  
"There you are. We were waiting for you. We really can't afford to get behind on our schedule."  
"Danny," Jesse answers, "we have 30 minutes left before you planned us to leave."  
Danny checks his watch. "No, we have 28 minutes and 54 seconds left. And we still have to do the baggage check."  
"Relax, Danny, it's a holiday. That means we get to do things calm and easy. Now, Michelle and I just took Comet to my parents and on our way home, we got a little delay."  
"You mean like a traffic jam?"  
"Well, sort of," Jesse replies.  
"We got stuck in the line of the line at the drugstore," Michelle nods.  
"What were you doing there?"  
"I had to buy some new mousse," Jesse responds, "you see, they had this poster on the window saying there's 30 percent off for the Hairly Davidson mousse. It's extra soft and protects against helmet hair. And you know how much I hate having helmet hair."

On Danny's watch it's exactly 11 minutes and 42 seconds later when everybody is in the living room of the Tanner house. They stand in a line, with their suitcases on the floor in front of them. Danny walks from one end of the line of suitcases to the other, with his hands folded on his back and his eyes focused on the baggage. When he's reached the last suitcase, he takes a sheet of paper out of his pocket and carefully unfolds it eight times, until he holds a sheet the size of a route map.  
"Okay troops, it's time for out traditional baggage checks," Danny says, "get ready to open your suitcase and check if the following things are there."  
Unwillingly the others open their suitcases.  
"Now, here we go. Toothbrush, underwear, socks, pants, soap…"  
"Hold it! I forgot something," Joey Gladstone says. Joey is Danny's best friend and moved in years ago to help him raising his daughters.  
"What is it?" Danny asks.  
"I forgot to nick that list from your pocket this morning."  
DJ smiles. "That would have had no use, Joey. Dad keeps a back-up list in his jacket, in the back pocket of his trousers and another eight in his suitcase."  
Danny nods. "That's correct. Now can we proceed please?" He looks at the list again. "Now where was I? Oh yeah. Sweaters, snowshoes, scarf, gloves, Christmas presents…"  
"Mommy," four year old Nicky Katsopolis asks his mother Becky, "why doesn't Santa bring our Christmas presents?"  
"We've been good boys this year," his twin brother Alex adds.  
"Well," Becky says, "your uncle Danny didn't mean Christmas presents for you, but the presents for Santa himself. You know, the milk and the cookies. You did pack the milk and the cookies, did you, Danny?"  
Danny looks at his sister-in-law with a guilty look on his face.  
"Of course I did. You know me. No vacation without milk and cookies in my baggage."  
"Boys, do you know who's coming with us?" Joey says, as he takes something out of his hand baggage. "I'm bringing Mr. Woodchuck, he loves Christmas.  
Mr. Woodchuck is Joey's ventriloquist doll. Handled by Joey, the puppet starts talking. "I really love Christmas, especially the Christmas..." the puppet looks around before he finishes his sentence "...tree."  
"Speaking of a Christmas tree, who packed it?" Michelle asks.  
"It's on the rearview mirror in your dads car," Jesse smiles.  
"Guys, can you be serious please? We still have about 103 items to check before we can leave."  
"And we have exactly 36 seconds to do so." Stephanie looks at her watch.  
Danny sighs and carefully folds the paper back to its small size before he puts it in his pocket.  
"I guess we'll have to leave trusting we have everything," he says.  
The family closes all the suitcases and everybody wants to leave, when suddenly Stephanie stops and looks around the living room. Then she walks to the kitchen door and peeks around the corner. She opens the front door a little and also takes a quick look outside.  
"Okay, we're clear. It's safe to go," Stephanie says.  
"What was that all about?" DJ asks her sister.  
"Well, every time we are about t leave for some family fun, Kimmy shows up and usually she joins us. I had to make sure we can leave without her for once."  
She refers to their neighbour Kimmy Gibbler, who is DJ's best friend, but who isn't as much appreciated by others.  
"Good thinking," Michelle says.  
"Yeah, good thinking," Alex says.  
His brother agrees. "Double good thinking!"  
"Come on guys. Kimmy isn't as bad as you think. If you get to know her, she actually is quite a nice person."  
They all leave the house.

Later that day, the family arrives at their cabin at Lake Tahoe.  
"Here we are guys, our deluxe cabin for the next days," Danny proudly says.  
He opens the door and everybody gazes when they look inside.  
"Oh yeah, I knew you would be impressed, " Danny proudly says.  
"Impressed is not the right word, Danny," Becky replies.  
"Dad, are you sure they didn't say this is a dust-luxe cabin? " DJ points at the inside of the cabin.  
Danny turns his head. As he looks inside, his face gets pale and the smile disappears.  
"Oh my god, what happened here? Danny exclaims.  
In the cabin there's a big mess. Tables are upside down, covered with a layer of dust. A chair with a broken leg lays on its back on the ground and the walls are covered in a muddy substance.  
"And you thought my room was a mess," Michelle says.  
Danny shakes his head. "This must be a mistake. I booked a deluxe cabin. They must have messed it up."  
"Well, they did mess it up quite well," Joey says.  
Suddenly the family hears a familiar voice behind them.  
"Hola Tannerito's," Kimmy Gibbler says.  
Stephanie turns around and looks bemused. "Oh god, why did we deserve this punishment?"  
DJ hugs her best friend. "What are you doing here?"  
"I'm here with my parents. It's time for our annual family bumslide trip.  
"Your what?" Danny asks.  
"Our bumslide trip. My uncle Ed prepares some snow, and we slide down on our bum. Whoever gets down fastest wins. My aunt Greta announced she'll do it naked this year, because she thinks she slides faster that way. Are you here to watch?"  
Michelle and Stephanie simultaneously respond: "Ew, gross!"  
Kimmy steps into the cabin and looks around. "Woa, I see you got the house of filth now. When we checked in, they said our cabin was overbooked, so we were supposed to go here. When I threatened to take off my shoes, they suddenly switched us with some other people. We now have a deluxe cabin."  
Everybody looks annoyed at Kimmy, who stares at her bare wrist, before she says: "Look at the time, I have to go" and walks away.  
"I knew it," Stephanie shouts bemused, "This is the catch we always encounter. Kimmy appears and ruins our fun. I hate that so much about her."  
"Come on Steph, this is not Kimmy's fault," DJ tries to calm her sister down.  
"It is her fault," Michelle says, "She took our cabin and now we have to stay in this garbage bin."  
"Girls, girls. Don't fight over Kimmy please," Danny intervenes, "She can't help it she was born... this way."  
"Yeah, just blame her parents," Jesse adds.  
"Now come on, guys, let's improve the looks of this cabin," Becky says.  
"I'm going to complain to the park manager," Danny says.  
Danny walks away while the others go into the cabin. Nobody notices Kimmy, who came back and overheard them talk. Disappointed she looks at the clan entering the cabin. Then she runs away in tears.

The next morning Stephanie and Michelle are in the kitchen of the cabin.  
"My head hurts from the nightmares I had," Michelle complaints.  
"You kept dreaming about mad mops and crazy cleaners as well?" Stephanie asks.  
Michelle nods. "And about a pile of dirty clothes that looked like it was coming to life."  
"Sounds like Joey's room at home," Stephanie smiles.  
Michelle ponders for a short while. "Now you bring it up, I did see a dozen of Pop Eye dolls laughing and pointing at me."  
Danny comes into the kitchen with a big smile on his face. Joey is right behind him, wearing Donald Duck slippers and a Pop Eye bathrobe.  
"Girls, last night was so much fun. It felt like my own personal Christmas," Danny says.  
Stephanie and Michelle look at each other for a second and together they say: "Spring cleaning!"  
"O yes. The smell of floor wax. The sound of dirt disappearing into a vacuum cleaner. We really should have more holidays like this," Danny responds with a dreamy look on his face.  
"I'm glad you slept okay," Joey says.  
"Why, you had dreams about mops as well?" Michelle asks.  
"No. There was a woodpecker right outside my bedroom window," Joey explains, "Mr. Woodchuck got excited, as he thought it was his long lost friend Woody. He kept talking about it for hours."  
"Then why didn't you just put Mr. Woodchuck away?" Stephanie asks.  
"Because he was looking at me with that typical look in his eyes, longing for a tasty pine tree," Joey replies.

"Wow, there's daylight coming in through the windows and the cabin actually looks cleaner than when we arrived yesterday," DJ says as she walks in.  
"I could watch this floor for hours," Danny sighs, "The way it's been waxed is a real masterpiece. I can tell you that this park manager was not very helpful when I asked for another cabin, but the cleaning supplies he gave me, were brilliant."  
"You see guys, this cabin isn't that bad. It's only too bad something is missing here," DJ says.  
Jesse and Becky walk in with the twins. Becky, who overheard DJ, agrees with her. "You're right, there is something missing."  
"Something's missing? Now that's why we always have a baggage check. If only you had been more serious about that..." Danny shakes his head.  
"I don't think you could fit it in your suitcase, dad," DJ smiles.  
"Where's the Christmas tree?" Alex asks.  
"Did uncle Danny forget to bring it?" Nicky adds.  
"No way!" Alex gasps.  
"You should have checked your baggage," Nicky waves his index finger at Danny.  
"Double checked it!" Alex continues.  
"They are right." Becky looks around, "We should have a tree."  
"Look outside, there's plenty of Christmas trees there." Jesse looks out of the window. His twin sons join him and try to peak over the windowsill. Jesse picks them both up with one arm, so they can look outside.  
"Wow," the boys say together.  
"There are plenty of trees outside, but isn't a Christmas tree supposed to be inside with decorations and lights in it?" Michelle asks.  
"Well, they can also be outside of course," DJ says.  
"Yeah, but it you put the presents underneath the tree outside, they'll disappear under the snow," Stephanie ponders.  
"Don't worry girls. All we have to do is cut a tree and bring it in," Becky assertively says.  
"Who's going to cut one?" Michelle looks at the men, who immediately look at each other.  
"We are," Becky firmly states.  
Jesse puts his arm on Becky's shoulder. "Oh no, you're not. You see, cutting a tree requires a lot of strength and is a masculine activity."  
Becky folds her arms on her chest and rolls her eyes at Jesse. "Did you just say I can't cut a tree?"  
"No, I said it's more like a job for men."  
"Is that so? Well, Lumberjack Jess, I've cut a fair share of Christmas trees. My brother was too lazy to do it, so one day I took my dad's axe and cut a tree. And I've done that for many years. How many trees did you cut in your life?" Becky dares Jesse.  
"A few," Jesse says hesitatingly, "And I have to agree with you that you do look more masculine than your brother... which obviously says more about him than about you of course."  
"Guys, don't fight over who is going to get the tree. I'll go get one," Danny says.  
All turn their face to Danny and almost simultaneously they say:"You?"  
Joey breaks the silence that follows. "Danny, are you sure you can handle getting dirt under your fingernails?"  
"Sure," Danny answers, "I'll wear rubber gloves."  
Jesse sighs. "I'm sorry Becky. It's just a silly tree, it's not worth fighting over."  
"It's okay," Becky says, "You go with Danny. I'll take the boys to the town nearby to buy some decorations."  
"Well, let's go then. Are you coming along too, Joey?" Danny asks.  
Joey nods. "I'll bring Mr. Woodchuck. He's an expert in cutting trees."

Danny, Jesse and Joey walk through the snow, looking for a suitable tree.  
"Isn't this nice. The three of us together in the woods. Just like the old days," Danny sighs.  
"Hey. Aren't you forgetting someone?" Mr. Woodchuck says.  
Jesse shakes his head. "Joey, why did you have to bring that doll?"  
"I thought Mr. Woodchuck would love the fresh air," Joey replies.  
"But I love trees more," the puppet adds.  
Jesse stops and points at a tree. "That one looks nice."  
"Jesse, that tree is about three meters high. How are we supposed to fit that in the cabin? Let alone take it there? I think we should go for the tree over there." Danny points at another tree, a couple of meters away from them.  
Joey holds Mr. Woodchuck's face next to Danny's and makes the puppet look at the tree.  
"Ooh, that tree looks tasty," the puppet voice of Joey says, "Can I chew it? Can I? Can I? Pret-tree please?"  
The ventriloquist doll turns his head to Danny's face and moves closer to it. Danny steps back to escape from the woodchuck puppet.  
"No," Danny and Jesse shout at the animal that is being controlled by Joey's hand.

Two people walk towards the men. One of them is a man dressed in a Hawaiian style t-shirt and a pink body warmer on grey pants." The woman wears rainbow-colored socks in her green shoes and a white cap backwards on her head. She wears a dark blue overall under a body warmer that is similarly pink as the one her male counterpart is wearing.  
"O look, there's the Gibblers," Danny says.  
"The neighbours I've seen only five times in eight years and who are responsible for giving uw Kimmy Gibbler?" Jesse asks.  
"Yes, those Gibblers," Danny replies.  
"Well, there's no doubt they raised Kimmy," Jesse says, referring to the way the couple dresses.  
"Ola Tannerito." Mrs. Gibbler waves cheerfully.  
"I definitely see the resemblance now," Jesse says.  
Mrs. Gibbler turns to Danny. "Mister Tanner, have you seen our daughter?"  
"See, we haven't seen her since yesterday afternoon. According to her brother Garth, she ran off after coming from the direction fo your cabin," her husband adds.  
"No, we haven't seen her since she came by," Danny replies.  
"We're really worried about her," Mrs. Gibbler continues, "Yesterday evening we had our human piñata evening. Kimmy loves being the piñata, but she didn't show up."  
"We'll keep an eye out for her," Danny says.  
"Thank you so much," Mister Gibbler says.

Becky walks to the parking lot with the twins. Stephanie and Michelle are with her.  
"What are we going to do?" Nicky asks.  
"We're going to shop for Christmas decorations," Becky replies.  
"And presents?" Alex asks.  
"No, Santa will bring the presents, remember?" Michelle kindly says.  
"But at the cabin you said you wanted to go with us to get presents." Alex looks confused.  
Michelle looks from Becky to Stephanie and ponders for a moment, before she replies to her cousin. "I didn't mean I was going to buy presents," she hesitatingly says, "I... I forgot to post my wish list for Santa, so I want to post it now." Michelle smiles at the boys.  
"But Santa is coming tonight," Nicky ascertains.  
"Yeah, he'll never get your list on time," Alex nods.  
Michelle sighs. "I think Santa will get it on time. I used a special Christmas stamp that will magically send the list to Santa's workshop when I post it."  
"Can we see that?" Alex asks.  
Michelle looks troubled at her sister and her aunt, who both keep silent.  
"Well," Michelle continues the discussion with her cousins, "you know only Santa can see your wish list, don't you? The special stamp does not work when I let someone else see it."  
Nicky and Alex gasp at Michelle. Then they turn to their mother.  
"Mommy, did you post our wish list?"  
Becky nods. "Sure I did, Nicky. All 47 pages of it."

A boy runs across the parking lot. He looks behind him and doesn't see the girls and the twins. He runs straight towards the family and bumps into Stephanie, who can just keep her balance. The boy stops and for a moment he and Stephanie look into each other's eyes.  
"I'm so sorry," the boy apologizes, "I didn't watch where I put my feet."  
Stephanie blushes. She looks at the boy who she estimates is about her age.  
"That's okay," she says, "I'm Stephanie."  
"Hi, I'm Xander. Are you staying in one of these cabins as well?"  
"Yes, in fact I am," Stephanie says. She looks at the others, who are waiting at the car. "My family is waiting for me, so I have to go."  
"Okay. Nice meeting you, Stephanie. Maybe we;ll run into each other again."  
"I would like that," Stephanie says with a dreamy tone of voice. She turns around and walks to the car. Before she gets in however, she turns around as she spots something on the ground. She gets down and picks up Xander's wallet.  
"Are you coming?" Michelle asks.  
Stephanie looks from the car to the gate of the park, where Xander runs to.  
"No, you go without me. I have to bring Xander his wallet."  
Becky smiles at her and starts the car. Stephanie runs after Xander.

We find DJ and Steve in the cabin. Steve just woke up and finds his girlfriend in the living room, reading a magazine.  
"Good morning. Where's everyone?" Steve asks.  
"They're all out. And you were as well. I could hear you snore through the wall between our rooms. When I opened the curtains this morning, I expected half the forest to be cut."  
"I really feel like I've slept for days. What's for breakfast? I'm hungry." Steve walks to the refrigerator and looks inside. "Did anyone claim that cheese sandwich?"  
"No, we left it there for you," DJ replies, "Aunt Becky took the twins and my sisters to the town nearby and they will also go to the grocery store."  
"I hope they bring a lot of food. What time is it?"  
"It's ten past one PM," DJ responds.  
"That's why I'm so hungry. I missed breakfast and it's lunch time."  
DJ frowns at her boyfriend. "Steve, you're always hungry."

We find Danny, Jesse and Joey in the forest. They are still looking for a tree to cut.  
"Guys, we've been walking for hours and still didn't find a tree," Joey complaints.  
"Joey, you know how important I think a clean tree is. All I've seen so far are trees with a lot of dirt or with needles that could fall out when you just look at them for more than two seconds."  
"Danny, I think I found the perfect tree for you." Jesse points at a tree without needles a couple of meters away from them.  
"Jesse, that tree is dead," Danny cynically answers.  
"Yeah. Perfect, right? It can't lose any needles on your waxed floor."  
Joey holds Mr. Woodchuck close to his ear and pretends the ventriloquist doll is whispering something. Joey nods and turns to Jesse and Danny.  
"Mr. Woodchuck suggests we take that tree over there."  
Danny and Jesse look in the direction Joey points at.  
"That looks like a nice tree indeed," Danny says, "It's got a pretty clean trunk and those needles seem to be attached nice and solid." He shakes a branch to check if any needles fall of.  
"Then that's the tree we're going to cut down." Jesse picks up his axe and walks closer to the tree. He swings the axe backwards and when he moves his arms forward, a voice distracts him.  
"Hold it. What do you think you're doing there?"  
"We're cutting a Christmas tree. If you want one for yourself, go find your own tree to cut," Jesse boldly responds.  
"I strongly suggest you keep that axe out of my tree," the voice firmly says.  
"Like I said, find your own tree," Jesse repeats. This time Joey interrupts him.  
"Uhm, Jess, maybe you should stop cutting that tree for a second."  
Jesse turns around and looks into the unfriendly face of a forester. Jesse smiles at the man.  
"Oh, hello. Lovely weather, don't you think?" Jesse tries to sound as innocent as he can.  
"Can I see your permit?" The forester asks.  
"My what?"  
"It's illegal to cut trees in this part of the forest, unless you have a permit. So can I see it?"  
Jesse gives the forester a big smile. "Well, I've got my drivers' permit."  
"In that case, sir, I strongly suggest you put down that axe, or I'll have to fine you."  
"Can't you make one exception? You see, my two boys want a Christmas tree so badly and I promised them to get one." Jesse calmly asks as he lowers the axe.  
The forester shakes his head.  
"If I make an exception now, I'll have to make tens of exceptions tomorrow."  
"I take that as a no?"  
"Yes."  
"So I have your permission to cut this tree?"  
"No."  
"Now you're confusing me," Jesse sighs.  
Danny pulls Jesse away. "It's okay sir. We'll just go back to our cabin and decorate the bonsai tree the last guests left behind."  
As Danny and Jesse intend to leave, Joey ponders.  
"So it's illegal to cut trees. But what if a woodchuck bit a tree down? Would that be allowed?"  
Joey shows Mr. Woodchuck to the forester and the puppet starts talking.  
"Hello Mr. Forester. Wood you let me bite those tasty pine trees? Please, wood you? Wood you?"  
"Wait a second, weren't you Ranger Joe?" The forester snow smiles for the first time since the three men met him.  
"Yes, I was," Joey proudly responds.  
"My kids loved your show. And to be honest, I haven't missed a single episode myself either. Wait. Each summer we have a camp for young children. It would be an honour to have you there to entertain the kids."  
"I'd love to," Joey responds, "Does that mean we can cut this tree?"  
The smile on the forester's face disappears. "No."

We find Stephanie near another cabin, gasping for breath as she finally catches up with Xander.  
"Hey, you know you made me run like I never ran before?"  
Xander turns around and smiles. "Did you already miss me that you ran so hard?"  
Stephanie blushes again. "Maybe. But you lost this." She shows the boy his wallet.  
"Thanks. That's very kind of you." Xander takes the wallet from Stephanie. "I would have asked if I could buy you a drink, but my parents are waiting for me."  
Stephanie smiles at him. "That's okay. You couldn't have paid for that drink anyway without your wallet."  
"Maybe we can meet again? I'll give you my phone number." Xander writes down his number.  
"Hey, are you from San Francisco as well?" Stephanie asks.  
"Yes I am. Born and raised there."  
"Me too," Stephanie smiles shyly.  
"I really have to go inside now. Thanks again for the wallet. And my apologies for being so rude not to offer you a drink And when you're home, do call me."  
"I will," Stephanie answers as Xander walks into the cabin.

Stephanie turns around and walks back in the direction she thinks she came from. But with her head in the clouds, she doesn't notice she takes a wrong turn. After having walked for about ten minutes, she hears a muffled voice coming from the bushes on her left.  
"Is anyone there?" Stephanie asks. She shivers and doubts whether she will just ran away, but as weird as it sounds, hearing the familiar voice of Kimmy Gibbler, puts her at ease.  
"I'm here. Help me please."  
Stephanie walks in the direction of the sound. Behind a big tree, she sees the orange and green colored socks of Kimmy Gibbler.  
"Kimmy, what are you doing there?"  
"I fell and hurt my ankle, so now I can't get up. Can you help me?" Kimmy looks up. When she recognizes Stephanie, she turns away her head. "O, it's you. Go away!"  
"A minute ago you called for help."  
"But I don't want any help from you. I hoped for a handsome guy to rescue me," Kimmy says.  
In doubt what to do now, Stephanie looks at Kimmy.  
"What are you still doing here? Just go away. I don't want your help," Kimmy says. She sounds piqued and turns her head away from Stephanie.  
Stephanie shakes her head and slowly walks away. When she turns her head, she sees how Kimmy fails in getting up by herself. She also notices the tears on Kimmy's face. She sighs and walks back.  
"Kimmy, I don't know if this is for real, and if not, the joke's on me, but are you really hurt?"  
"Of course I am. And it's not just my ankle that hurts."  
"What else? The brains that should be there?"  
Kimmy sighs. "No, my feelings. I heard you guys talk about me yesterday."  
Uneasy, Stephanie looks at her own feet. "You did? And what exactly did we say?"  
"That you didn't like me." Kimmy wipes away fresh tears.  
"You weren't supposed to hear that," Stephanie carefully says.  
"It really hurt, you know. I know we aren't best friends, but I never thought you guys actually hated me."  
Stephanie sits down next to Kimmy and sighs. She looks in the moist eyes of her sister's best friend and shamefully looks for the right words to speak.  
"Kimmy, we... I... I don't hate you. I just like making fun out of you, because that's so easy."  
"Then why did you say you hated me?"  
"I was upset. Maybe a little tiny bit somewhat frustrated even. See, we had this lousy cabin and I thought our family holiday was ruined before it even started. Then you came and told us that because of your smelly feet, you are in our cabin now. So I aimed my frustration at you, and the others as well. And speaking for myself, it was wrong to do so."  
"So you don't hate me?" Kimmy sniffs.  
"No, Kimmy, I don't hate you. We have our differences, but in some kind of weird way, I even care for you."  
"You do?" Kimmy looks confused at Stephanie.  
"Kimmy, you've been in my life for so many years now. And I know this sounds crazy, but although you can be annoying at times, like almost all the time, I couldn't imagine a life without you around bugging me."  
Kimmy's face lights up a bit. "You mean that? Thank you. That's the nicest thing I've heard in months. But let me get this straight. You were jealous at me because I am in the better cabin?"  
Stephanie smiles. "I guess so. And Kimmy, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. But the Kimmy I know can take jokes and insults very well. And she always has a positive view on things. "  
Kimmy doesn't seem to hear Stephanie's apology. She just looks at her with a smile on her face.  
"You were jealous at me. That's so cool. You know, I've been jealous at you for, well, ever I since I first met you."  
Stephanie looks surprised. "Really? Why?"  
"Because DJ is your sister. She's so much cooler than my sisters, and I always wanted to have a sister like DJ."  
"Kimmy, DJ is your best friend. And I think to her, you're close to being a sister."  
"You really think so? Cool!"  
"She cares about you, Kimmy. Even when all of took our frustration out on you, DJ kept defending you." Stephanie stands up and looks around. She sighs and puts out her arm.  
"Okay, in a few days I probably regret this, but I'll help you get back to the cabins. How long have you've been here anyway?"  
"I don't know. I woke up her this morning. I can't remember how I got here."  
Stephanie helps Kimmy getting up and supports her as they walk back to the road.

We find Danny, Jesse and Joey in the forest. A little disappointed they couldn't bring a tree, they walk back to the cabin.  
"Great. All of this was for nothing. We go out for a Christmas tree, and what do we get? A fine for trying to bribe a forester," Jesse complaints.  
"Do you think I can still come back to help with that camp next year?"  
"Not a chance," Danny responds to Joey.  
They're almost at the cabin when Danny spots something. "Guys, look!"  
The three men stop. They look at the solitary pine tree next to the cabin, which is now covered in lights. DJ is standing next to it. When she hears the footsteps of the men, she calls the others in the cabin.  
"When did this happen?" Danny asks.  
DJ smiles. "Well, aunt Becky and I figured you guys were gone for so long, that we decided to decorate the pine tree closest to our cabin."  
Steve walks out of the cabin and looks proudly. "I connected the lights."  
"Then why are those lights so dark?" Jesse asks.  
"We just finished," DJ explains. By the way, where's your tree?"  
"In the forest," Danny sighs.  
Becky walks outside and looks at the men. "Can you bring that tree inside?"  
Jesse looks at his wife uncomfortably. "Well, honey, about that tree. You see..."  
"No, I don't see it. Where is it?" Becky asks as serious as she can.  
"Well, it's... we don't have one," Jesse admits, "Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea if you had come with us after all."  
"Because I am a better tree cutter?"  
"No, because you have a lovely smile that could have changed that forester's mind."  
"We're ready," Michelle shouts from the doorway. Come check it out."  
As Michelle walks back in, the others follow her. The men are surprised again when they see the decorations in the cabin. In one corner they see a decorated Christmas tree.  
"Where did you get that tree?" Danny asks.  
"Looks like someone has been doing some illegal cutting in the forest," Joey says.  
"When we went into town, we saw some posters stating that it's illegal to cut trees in the forest. So we already expected you to return without a tree. So we bought one in town," Becky explains.  
Nicky and Alex walk in from their bedroom, wearing festoons.  
"Look, we are decorated as well," Nicky says.  
"Michelle gave us this," Alex adds.  
"Boys, those festoons are for decorating the tree, not yourselves," Becky says.  
The twins run away, laughing with joy and Becky follows them.  
Danny looks around. "Where is Stephanie?"  
"She ran after a boy just before we went to town," Michelle says.  
"She what? Danny looks worried. Where did they go?"  
"She followed him into the forest," Michelle answers.  
"And she still isn't back? O my god, something horrible must have happened to her," Danny says.  
"I think so too," Jesse says, as he looks at the window. He points at something he sees outside.  
The clan gathers at the doorway.  
"Wait, am I seeing this right?" Michelle asks, "Stephanie voluntarily helps Kimmy? If boys can drive you this crazy, I think I'll stay single."  
Danny smiles at his youngest daughter. "That would make me so happy."

Stephanie and Kimmy walk into the cabin.  
"Thank god you're back," Danny says relieved.  
"I missed you too, mister T.," Kimmy says. She stumbles forwards and hugs Danny.  
"Your parents are looking for you, Kimmy."  
"They are?" Kimmy looks confused.  
"Okay guys, it's not long before it gets dark outside, so I'm going to turn the Christmas lights on," Steve says. He puts the plug of the lights into the outlet. The moment he does so, it gets dark in the cabin.  
"Steve, you were supposed to turn the lights on, not off," DJ says.

A couple of hours later, the power is fixed and the lights actually work. We find the clan outside around the pine tree.  
"Isn't this lovely? All together around the Christmas tree," Danny says.  
"It is," Stephanie answers.  
Kimmy and her parents walk by. Kimmy is wearing crutches.  
"You mean it was," Michelle says with a disappointed tone of voice.  
"No, Michelle, it still is." Stephanie steps aside and invites Kimmy to join them.  
Michelle gazes at her. "You let Kimmy get near you? What's going on"  
"Christmas is going on, Michelle," Stephanie calmly explains, "Christmas is about love and respect for others. We can call Kimmy names all year long, but this is not the right time to do so."  
"But yesterday you said that you hate her," Michelle looks confused.  
"Michelle, we all said things we didn't mean because we were unhappy at the cabin we got. Yesterday, I felt like Christmas was ruined because we got this lousy cabin. But Christmas is not about where you spend it, but about the people you spend it with. And right now, I think this is a wonderful Christmas," Stephanie smiles.  
Danny takes a handkerchief to wipe his eyes.  
"Dad, are you okay?" DJ asks.  
"Yes, I'm fine. It's just that I realized how fast you girls are growing up. Those were very mature words, Stephanie. It reminded me of your mother. If she had been here, she would have been very proud of you just for that."  
Danny hugs Stephanie. DJ and Michelle join them.  
"O, I love Christmas hugs," Danny smiles.  
Jesse looks at his watch. "Okay guys, it's midnight now. Merry Christmas!"  
Everybody wishes each other a merry Christmas. Kimmy and her parents also join in the Christmas wishing of the family.  
Alex is the first one to break the moment. "Can we open our presents now?"  
"No, we'll do that in the morning," Becky answers.  
"Go nuts," Nicky says.

They all walk inside, except for Michelle. She looks up to the sky above. DJ and Stephanie walk back to her.  
"What's wrong Michelle?" DJ asks.  
"When dad said he was reminded of mom... I remember he once said that if we lose a loved one, that person will stay close to you. Do you think mom is with us now?"  
DJ smiles. "I'm sure she is, Michelle.  
"Me too," Stephanie whispers, "Somewhere between those stars, she is looking at us."  
Stephanie and DJ each put their hand on one of Michelle's shoulders. In silence, they watch the stars and see one of the little lights in the sky light up for a couple of seconds.  
"Hi mommy. Merry Christmas to you too," Michelle whispers.

**- End Tune -**

* * *

**Main Characters **  
Jesse Katsopolis  
Danny Tanner  
Joey Gladstone  
DJ Tanner  
Stephanie tanner  
Michelle Tanner  
Rebecca 'Becky' Donaldson-Katsopolis  
Nicky Katsopolis  
Alex Katsopolis  
Kimmy Gibbler  
Steve Hale

**Guest characters: **  
Mr. Woodchuck (Ventriloquist doll held by Joey)  
Mr. Gibbler (Kimmy's father)  
Mrs. Gibbler (Kimmy's mother)  
Xander  
Forester

**Episode information: **  
Story written by: Martin van Dam  
Based upon: The orignal series of Full House, created by Jeff Franklin

**Written for  
** Full House Forever (full-house dot org)

**Originally released  
**19/12/2004 as episode 240.


End file.
